


Origin Stories

by RiotFalling



Series: Riot’s SteveTonySeptember [9]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Minor science disasters, Mutual Pining, pining morons, tired friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-01 11:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20814056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiotFalling/pseuds/RiotFalling
Summary: Steve has a crush on the cute nerd who always looks like his brain is going in a million different directions.Tony has a crush on the tall, gorgeous artist who always has his nose shoved in a sketchbook.Neither of them plan to actually do anything about it.





	Origin Stories

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: high school AU

“The science building is flooded again,” Clint says by way of greeting as he drops his lunch tray down on the table.

“How is that news?” Natasha asks without looking up from her book, her tone bored. “It would be more surprising if a week went by _without_ something happening to that place.”

Steve isn't really listening to the conversation, more concerned with the scratch of charcoal over paper.

“I'm just saying, I think we have an evil genius in our midst,” Clint says as he starts dumping his fries into the giant pile of ketchup in the center of his plate.

“Or someone who's just really bad at science,” Sam points out, eyeing Clint's plate with disgust.

“Or both,” Steve suggests idly, not looking up from his sketchbook.

“What are you working on?” Natasha asks, leaning into Steve's side.

He scrambles to cover up the page, no doubt smearing the drawing he worked so hard on in the first place, his face flushing. “Nothing,” Steve says quickly, too quickly, and then winces as Natasha raises a pointed eyebrow at him and Sam bursts out laughing.

“Probably just doodling his secret crush again,” Bucky says, looking up from his lunch just long enough to shoot Steve a wide smirk.

Steve glares back, his face probably scarlet by now, and shoves his sketchbook into his backpack as the table explodes with noise.

-

“I can’t believe you flooded the building,” Rhodey says, shaking his head sadly even as he's clearly tying to fight down a smile. "Again!”

“Well then you have terrible pattern recognition,” Tony says happily, holding one of his soaking wet shoes under the weak air of the bathroom hand dryer. “And I maintain that the smoke detectors in there are way, _way_ too sensitive.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure that defense will hold up with Fury,” Rhodey says with a scoff. “It’s only, what, the third time this has happened?”

“All the more reason they should change them!” Tony says. He shoves his fingers down into his shoe, feeling around, and then holds it back under the dryer again with a huff. “I was really onto something this time, too! And now all of my careful, intricate wiring is ruined!"

“So what distracted you from your soldering this time?” Pepper asks, sticking her head in through the door to smirk knowingly at him.

"Nothing!" Tony insists, and blushes very unconvincingly. "Get out of here, this is the boy's bathroom, and you're supposed to be keeping watch!"

Pepper is laughing as she lets the door fall shut again, and Tony doesn't even need to look over to know Rhodey is judging him, too. If they weren't actively helping him avoid getting in trouble for trashing the science building for the millionth time, Tony might be tempted to call them the worst friends ever.

"You ever actually gong to talk to him?" Rhodey asks and that's it, he's officially the worst.

"I have no idea who or what you're talking about," Tony grumbles, and ignores the way Rhodey snorts with disbelieving laughter, and the fact that he can hear Pepper laughing even from out in the hallway.

-

Steve is not even a little surprised that the alarms are screaming as he walks past the science building.

The last bell rang several hours ago, and Steve's first thought is that Clint is going to be bummed he missed this latest development. Steve’s second thought is that he’s pretty sure he hears someone’s voice, which is weird, because the campus should definitely be empty by now. Never mind that Steve is still here, himself.

He rounds the corner, looking for the source of the voice, and then stops dead in his tracks, sketchbook clutched to his chest.

-

"No, platypus, it is _not_ toxic smoke,” Tony says into his phone, and then reluctantly adds “this time.”

Tony chews on his lip as he loiters outside the science building, hoping like hell the smoke dissipates before anyone comes looking to find out what all the noise is about. At least it’s not thick enough to set off the sprinklers this time.

Tony winces when he hears approaching footsteps, and says “hey Rhodey, I think I gotta go. Wish me luck and minimal jail time.” Tony hangs up and spins on his heel, fully expecting to be faced with an angry cop, or worse, Principal Fury. He finds neither of those things, and Tony’s carefully prepared explanation escapes him in a rush of breath.

-

They stare at each other for an embarrassingly long time, Tony with a smear of ash across his forehead and Steve clutching his sketchbook like a shield, the smoke alarms cheerfully blaring right along in the the background.

“So,” Steve says slowly, surprised at himself even as the words leave his mouth, “are you an evil genius, or just really bad at science?”

Tony just blinks for a second, stunned, and then manages to recover with a smirk that’s only a little wobbly. “Who says it can’t be both? Or, more likely, I’m actually very good at science, not so good at paying attention to boring things like the limits of air filtration systems?”

Steve smiles back, and he’s doing it, he’s actually doing it, take that Bucky. Who can’t talk to their super secret crush now? “That sounds a lot like a super villain origin story, to me.”

“Who knows,” Tony says, a little more confident, “maybe I can still be won over. Prevent world disaster.” Tony has to resist the urge to start texting Rhodey and Pepper right now, because they are not going to believe this, but he can’t risk looking rude. He can’t risk this conversation ending.

“I think I might be up to that,” Steve says, his hands finally relaxing from their death grip on his book, “how do you feel about cheeseburgers?” When Tony smiles wider it nearly takes his breath away.

The alarm finally shuts off. Neither of them notice.


End file.
